# US 12,193,232 B2 · Semiconductor device including separation patterns and an electronic system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,193,232 B2 - Document ID: US12193232B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/488,576 - Filed: 2021-09-29 - Published: 2022-07-28 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-28 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Joongshik Shin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12193232B2 ## CPC - H10B 43/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels - H10B 43/10: characterised by the top-view layout - H10B 43/40: characterised by the peripheral circuit region - H10W 74/00: Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H10W 90/732: {between stacked chips} - H10W 90/734: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H10W 90/752: {between stacked chips} - H10W 90/792: {between multiple chips} - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A semiconductor device including: a horizontal wiring layer; a stack structure including a plurality of mold layers and a plurality of wiring layers alternately stacked on the horizontal wiring layer; a plurality of channel structures extending through the stack structure; and a plurality of separation patterns extending through the stack structure, wherein each of the plurality of separation patterns includes a plurality of first areas and a plurality of second areas adjacent to the plurality of first areas, wherein each of the plurality of first areas has a smaller width than each of the plurality of second areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device, comprising: a horizontal wiring layer; a stack structure comprising a plurality of mold layers and a plurality of wiring layers alternately stacked on the horizontal wiring layer; a plurality of channel structures extending through the stack structure; and a plurality of separation patterns extending through the stack structure, wherein each of the plurality of separation patterns comprises a plurality of first areas and a plurality of second areas adjacent to the plurality of first areas, wherein each of the plurality of first areas has a smaller width than each of the plurality of second areas, wherein: the plurality of channel structures extends into the horizontal wiring layer; each of the plurality of separation patterns comprises a plurality of downward protrusions extending into the horizontal wiring layer; and a distance between a lowermost end of each of the plurality of downward protrusions and a lower surface of the horizontal wiring layer is smaller than a distance between a lowermost end of each of the plurality of channel structures and the lower surface of the horizontal wiring layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality of channel structures is arranged in a row direction and a column direction; and each of the plurality of first areas is aligned with and adjacent to a center of one of the plurality of channel structures arranged in a row nearest to the plurality of separation patterns. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a lower support between the horizontal wiring layer and the stack structure; and a sealing conductive layer between the horizontal wiring layer and the lower support, wherein the plurality of channel structures and the plurality of separation patterns extend through the lower support and the sealing conductive layer, wherein a side surface of the lower support is misaligned with a side surface of the stack structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein a thickness of the sealing conductive layer is 1.2 to 5 times a thickness of each of the plurality of wiring layers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein: the stack structure comprises a first section disposed between a pair of the plurality of separation patterns; the lower support comprises a second section disposed between the pair of the plurality of separation patterns; and a maximum horizontal width of the first section is smaller than a maximum horizontal width of the second section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of separation patterns contacts a side surface and an upper surface of the lower support. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of downward protrusions extend through the lower support and the sealing conductive layer and into the horizontal wiring layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein a width of the plurality of downward protrusions between the lower support is less than a width of the plurality of separation patterns between the stack structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein a width of the plurality of downward protrusions between the sealing conductive layer is less than a width of the plurality of separation patterns between the stack structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising: an upper support on the stack structure and the plurality of channel structures, wherein each of the plurality of separation patterns comprises a plurality of upward protrusions extending through the upper support. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein: the plurality of upward protrusions contact an upper insulating layer. ### Claim 12 A semiconductor device, comprising: a horizontal wiring layer; a stack structure comprising a plurality of mold layers and a plurality of wiring layers alternately stacked on the horizontal wiring layer; a lower support between the horizontal wiring layer and the stack structure; a sealing conductive layer between the horizontal wiring layer and the lower support; a plurality of channel structures extending into the horizontal wiring layer via the stack structure, the lower support and the sealing conductive layer; and a plurality of separation patterns intersecting the stack structure and extending into the horizontal wiring layer via the lower support and the sealing conductive layer, wherein a side surface of the lower support is misaligned with a side surface of the stack structure, wherein at least one of the plurality of separation patterns comprises a downward protrusion extending into the horizontal wiring layer via the lower support and the sealing conductive layer, and wherein the downward protrusion terminates at a lower elevation in the horizontal wiring layer compared to termination points of the channel structures in the horizontal wiring layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein: the stack structure comprises a first section disposed between a pair of the plurality of separation patterns; the lower support comprises a second section disposed between the pair of the plurality of separation patterns; and a maximum horizontal width of the first section is smaller than a maximum horizontal width of the second section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of separation patterns contacts a side surface and an upper surface of the lower support. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein: the plurality of channel structures is arranged in a row direction and a column direction: each of the plurality of separation patterns comprises a plurality of first portions having a smaller width than second portions of the separation pattern; and each of the first portions is aligned with and adjacent to a center of one of the plurality of channel structures arranged in a row nearest to the plurality of separation patterns. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The semiconductor device according to claim 12, further comprising: an upper support on the stack structure, wherein each of the plurality of separation patterns comprises a plurality of upward protrusions extending through the upper support. ### Claim 17 An electronic system, comprising: a semiconductor device; and a controller to control the semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor device comprises a horizontal wiring layer, a stack structure comprising a plurality of mold layers and a plurality of wiring layers alternately stacked on the horizontal wiring layer, a plurality of channel structures extending through the stack structure, and a plurality of separation patterns extending through the stack structure, wherein each of the plurality of separation patterns comprises a plurality of first portions having a smaller width than a plurality of second portions of the plurality of separation patterns, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the semiconductor device, and wherein a penetration depth of a downward protrusion of the separation patterns in the horizontal wiring layer is greater than a penetration depth of the channel structures in the horizontal wiring layer.